Discussion

Visited Amor y Amargo last week. Had no idea it would be so small but it was a lot of fun. Bartenders very eager to share their (considerable) knowledge of bitters and the thoughts that go into the drinks they make.

GF and I had 2 drinks each but we traded off so we got to try 4. We had:

Classic Negroni - enough said, it was a CLASSIC Negroni made with outstanding house vermouth

Kingston Negroni - variation of a Negroni using rhum, skew a little too sweet for me but GF loved it

Scandi Gibson - in their own words, "like drinking rye bread" - this was my favorite drink out of the 4 and I will need to learn how to make it myself because it could be addictive. Even if the bar wasn't as cool as it is I would still go back for this drink, it was that good.

So go, get there early, get one of the few seats at the bar, chat a little, drink a little, learn something, then leave because you are in my seat....

Next time try the Alpine Afternoon. Even if it's not on the menu, they will make it for you. Great drink. Great bar... The guy who did the cocktail program at Rye in W'burg is involved here and there's also some crossover with the bartenders at Maison Premiere.

Maison Premiere does indeed have great cocktails. Happy hour ($1 oysters) is great but very, very popular. It's not a huge place and gets very crowded, especially since the back garden isn't ready yet right now.

For MP, you really have to pick and choose your times to go because it's become a bit too popular for its' own good and can suffer from long waits for drinks or uncomfortable elbow to elbow conditions (no good for cocktails). I like the St. Helena, Frenchman's Roulette and a couple of classics that they have rotated off the printed menu- Veaux Carre and A La Louisiana. If it's mellow and one of the bartenders that I'm on terms with is around, I'll usually ask them to get creative....Dram is more of a neighborhood vibe. Cocktails are equally good, though not quite as historically inspired as MP.

I've only been to Maison Premier once. It was a Sturday early afternoon and the place was fairly empty. I loved the oysters, the cocktails, the absinthe preparation, really everything. I could see how it being packed would take away a lot of the enjoyment.

On that note, I saw that they are having an event for the Kentucky Derby. I was intrigued but can only assume it will be equally chaotic as a Friday happy hour.

They are both very good, but if you like doing "bartender's choice" and going off the menu, I'd choose Dram, simply because it's more chill and bigger and you can actually grab a bar stool. You can't always get a seat (let alone a bar seat) at MP.

It just totally depends on timing and what kind of atomsphere you like. Dram can be an absolute zoo sometimes and very...uhh,..Williamsburg. Much worse than MP can be and there's no host or hostess to sort of handle traffic. I bounce between both these places. It's good that they are close to each other to have options if you are in the mood for well-crafted cocktails.